1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a character processing apparatus, a character processing method, a memory medium, and a font. More particularly, the invention relates to a character processing apparatus, a character processing method, and a memory medium for installing font data.
2. Related Background Art
In case of forming documents by characters corresponding to a plurality of countries or regions by using a character processing apparatus such as word processor, workstation, or personal computer, it is necessary to express the documents by the characters used in those countries or regions.
In recent years, the unified character code system called a unicode in which specific character codes are allocated to all of the characters in the world has been proposed. In the unified character code system, all of the font data necessary in a cultural sphere or region in the world is mainly individually classified every country. It is, therefore, considered that the user can form documents without particularly being conscious of a country which uses specific font data.
In a partial region in Asia such as Japan or China, the characters are expressed generally by using Chinese characters. In the unified character code system, simplified Chinese characters or traditional Chinese characters which are used as a same meaning in the same country or region are also allocated to different character codes, so that it is considered that a document using desired Chinese characters can be formed while also distinguishing the simplified Chinese characters and traditional Chinese characters.
However, according to the unified character code system, the codes are allocated to the character shapes (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9cglyphsxe2x80x9d) and a country or region which uses the glyphs themselves is not specified nor distinguished. Moreover, similar glyphs are allocated to the same code. Therefore, in case of forming a document using characters of a specific country (for instance, Japanese or Chinese), there is a fear such that similar characters (for example, Korean characters) which are not used in the specific country mixedly exist in the document. There is, consequently, a problem that whether the characters are the characters used in the specific country or not needs to be discriminated while observing a display screen every time.
The invention is made in consideration of the above problems and it is an object to provide a character processing apparatus which can easily install desired characters corresponding to a country or a region in case of using a font of unified character codes and to provide a processing method of character data and a memory medium.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a character processing apparatus comprising: first designating means for designating a language or a country of a font to be installed; and installing means for installing font data of the language or country designated by the first designating means from memory means for storing font data corresponding to a plurality of languages or countries.
According to the invention, there is provided a character processing method comprising: a first designating step of designating a language or a country of a font to be installed; and an installing step of installing font data of the language or country designated in the first designating step from memory means for storing font data corresponding to a plurality of languages or countries.
According to the invention, there is provided a memory medium in which a program has been stored, wherein the program comprises: a first designating step of designating a language or a country of a font to be installed; and an installing step of installing font data of the language or country designated in the first designating step from memory means for storing font data corresponding to a plurality of languages or countries.
According to the invention, there are provided a font comprising: character pattern data corresponding to a plurality of languages or countries; and first identification information to identify in which language or country each character is used.
According to the invention, there is provided a memory medium for storing a font comprising: character pattern data corresponding to a plurality of languages or countries; and first identification information to identify in which language or country each character is used.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.